Brian Copeland (born 1964) is an American actor, comedian,

radio talk show host Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. They may feature monologues, dialogues between the hosts, Interview (jo ...

, playwright and author based in the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...

. Copeland has been the opening act for artists such as

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...

Natalie Cole Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to prominence in the mid-1970s, with the release of her debut ...

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...

and

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...

. For more than 18 years, he hosted a radio program for

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

radio station KGO. His program formerly aired weekdays from 2pm–4pm. On September 13, 2010, he began serving as host of "7 Live," a new hour-long, weekday program on

KGO-TV KGO-TV (channel 7) is a television station licensed to San Francisco, California, United States, serving the San Francisco Bay Area. It has been owned and operated by the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network through its ABC Owne ...

in San Francisco. He is the father of three children, all of whom have followed him into show business.

Early life

Copeland was born in Akron, Ohio and grew up in

Hayward, California Hayward is a city located in Alameda County, California, United States, in the East Bay subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of 162,954 as of 2020, Hayward is the sixth largest city in the Bay Area, and the third largest in ...

and

San Leandro, California San Leandro (Spanish language, Spanish for "Leander of Seville, St. Leander") is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area; between Oakland, California, Oakland to the northwe ...

.http://www.briancopeland.com/e-press/pdf/Blk_press_usa.pdf He attended

Moreau Catholic High School Moreau Catholic High School is a Catholic high school sponsored by the Moreau Province of the Congregation of Holy Cross. It is located in Hayward, California, within the Diocese of Oakland. History Moreau Catholic High School opened its door ...

, located in Hayward, California. He studied political science at

Holy Names University Holy Names University (HNU) was a private Catholic university in Oakland, California, United States. It was founded in 1868 by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. It remained affiliated with the order until it closed in 2023 due ...

''Not a Genuine Black Man''

Play

In 2004, Copeland premiered his first one-man show, ''Not a Genuine Black Man'', at

The Marsh The Marsh Theater is an American theater company that specializes in developing new performance, founded in 1989. It has two venue locations, at 1062 Valencia Street in the Mission District of San Francisco, California; and 2120 Allston Way in Be ...

. The show is an account of his experiences growing up in the

East Bay The East Bay is the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area and includes cities along the eastern shores of San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay. The region has grown to include inland communities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Wi ...

suburb of

in the 1970s, when it was considered a racist enclave due to its 99.99% white population and the coordinated policies of housing discrimination and segregation which were in place until the 1960s. The play, originally scheduled for a six-week run, went on to run 25 months, becoming the longest-running one-man show in San Francisco history. GENUINE ran Off Broadway and in over 30 U.S. cities logging over 700 performances during its initial 7-year run.

"The Waiting Period"

In February 2012, Copeland premiered his second solo show entitled "The Waiting Period" at the Marsh in San Francisco. The play is a memoir of Copeland's battle with suicidal depression. The 'waiting period' in the title, refers to California's mandatory ten-day waiting period before Copeland could bring home the gun he had purchased for the purpose of ending his life. The play received rave reviews from critics (as well as depression and suicide support groups and the mental health community) and currently plays to sold out crowds. The message of the comedy/drama is for those suffering from debilitating depression and suicidal thoughts to "Tell Somebody" and ask for help before it's too late. The play has been extended five times as of this writing. A book is forthcoming and talks are currently under way for a major motion picture based upon the work. THE JEWELRY BOX Copeland's third solo play, THE JEWELRY BOX, opened in November 2013. The holiday play about his quest to earn the $11.97 to buy his mother a jewelry box from the White Front discount store in 1970 East Oakland was hailed by critics as, "an instant holiday classic" and "the Bay Area's Christmas story." A novella based on the play was published in 2015. THE SCION In 2014, Copeland opened his critically acclaimed THE SCION, an investigation into the circumstances that led to fellow San Leandro resident Stuart Alexander murdering 3 government meat inspectors who tried to inspect his Santos Liguisa Factory in June 2000.

Book

In 2006, the publishing house Hyperion released a memoir by Copeland based upon his play. In 2009, the book was selected by
Silicon Valley Reads
as the one to read and discuss as a community. This organization represents this Northern Californian region's libraries, bookstores, and schools, along with some civic leaders. Topher Davis Thrillers In 2024, Copeland released his first crime fiction novel, OUTRAGED, the beginning of a thriller series featuring African American TV Investgative Reporter Topher Davis and his sister, San Francisco Homicide Detective Lynn Sloan. The book received raves with New York Times Bestselling author Jonathan Kellerman call in the novel "a revelation." The book's rave reviews have led to a second Topher Davis book called SHADOWS OF JUSTICE which will be released in April 2025. As of this writing, Copeland is in negotiations to write books 3 and 4 in the series for release in 2026 And 2027 respectively.

Film career

In 2006, Copeland was cast as the son of

Morgan Freeman Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is an American actor, producer, and narrator. In a career spanning six decades, he has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as a nomination for a Tony ...

's character in the

Rob Reiner Robert Reiner (born March 6, 1947) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and liberal activist. As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence with the role of Michael Stivic, Mike "Meathead" Stivic on the CBS sitc ...

film ''

The Bucket List ''The Bucket List'' is a 2007 American buddy comedy-drama film directed and produced by Rob Reiner, written by Justin Zackham, and starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. The main plot follows two terminally ill men on their road tri ...

'', also starring

Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. Nicholson is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of the 20th century, often playing rebels fighting against the social structure. Over his five-de ...

. In 2021, Copeland appeared in the sequel to the hit film VENOM entitled VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE. In 2024, Copeland filmed a role in Rob Reiner's THIS IS SPINAL TAP 2.

References

External links

Brian Copeland's biography at KGO RadioBrian Copeland official website
*

San Francisco Chronicle review The Waiting Period {{DEFAULTSORT:Copeland, Brian 1964 births Living people American male film actors American talk radio hosts People from Hayward, California People from San Leandro, California Radio personalities from San Francisco Male actors from the San Francisco Bay Area Writers from the San Francisco Bay Area African-American male actors 21st-century American comedians Comedians from San Francisco 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American people Comedians from Ohio African-American male comedians African-American comedians American male comedians